I know, it took me a while to get back on the boards, being home again for two weeks, sorry guys, but I was too tired to post in the first week home, and too busy for being online last week.

How was our trip?
Must fabulous ofcourse. Only ...
It started at the Amsterdam Airport with an 2,5 hours delay because to a malfunction of an engin on one of the wings, so we had to wait for another plain, yet to come in. Well, finally we boarded (bored (G)) and there the holiday starts. We were in Orlando you local time at 23.00. What shocked us really was the cold temperature leaving the airport, it was as cold as at home ....
Around midnight we arrived in our hotel. Were we glad to see a bed!!! and boy, what size ..... We really had a kingsize room, but only a small bed of 1.40 x 2.00, note that our bed at home is 2.20 x 2.00, so there was some lack of space. Never mind, we laughed about it and tried to get some sleep, knowing we embark the Pride the next morning.
Smoothly we headed back to the Airport to find the shuttle bus. Somebody told us to find the ladies of Carnival who would help us with our vouchers, but it is a hard time finding them, because no-one in the airport knows exactly where they are located, untill one smart Airport worker told us to go to ground level, find parking space B24, go back inside and there the ladies would be sitting with all the paper work. And what happened, we did now have the pink voucher of Carnival, but just a white paper voucher from our Dutch agency, it took some talking and translating and then hop in the bus. At Port Canaveral the embarking was the quickest we had and long before lunch we were on board, gazing at the inside of the ship. She is pret-ty! And our cabin absolutely wonderfull, the balcony is great. It is bigger than the one we have at home ....

We had a tremendous time. Key West is a must for another holiday and stay a couple of days longer. We had a fun day there, because our friends from Florida were there too, packed in winterclothes and we in our summer outfits, it was around 19-20 C and for us that is nice weather, they were cold (G). Anyway, we had fun. They brought me a bottle of champaign for my birthday, so sweet.
Sloppy Joe is a no go, Kevins the Irish pub is much more fun.

Then back on the ship for the Yucatan Adventure! We had a "rocky ride" to Belize with high waves and the upper decks closed for the public, but we had fun. No, we did not get seasick, others did.
Belize, another spot to go back to, we loved it. We took the Altun Ha tour and a tour around the city, had a wonderfull, amazing, walking encyclopedia as a tourguide on the bus and he was really good. Ofcourse Belize City is poor and not looking too friendly, but hey, you see this poor houses all over the Caribean.

Then to Cozumel, our second time. This time we went to the Chankanaab Park for the beach and a snorkel experience, our first time. We had such a good time in the water, and all the beautiful fish. Did we swim with the Dolfins, no. We did not book a tour, and there were 11 cruiseships docked at Cozumel that day, so you can count how many tourist were all over the island. We went back to the shops and Hard Rock Cafe, walked around and went back to the ship.

Next day: Progresso, one place we will never go back to, because in my opinion there is nothing of interest for a tourist. On the beach is nothing there, the current of the water is too strong to swim in, the market is dirty, and souvenirs you can buy everywhere. Besides that, the humidity was 84%, sticky warm. So we went back to the ship, where it was nice and cool, like so many others did too. We should have booked the Chitzen Itza tour, but looking through the papers the duration of the tour was over 7 hrs and we thought that it was too long, afterwards we better had taken the tour.

The weather was absolutely gorgious, as always in the Caribean , and for us poor cold weather Dutchies is was like paradise.

I do not need to say that the food, the service and everything on board was AB FAB! Our cruise director Malcolm Burn is a very good, very nice and friendly man. We are not so much into cruise directors because we do not enter the onboard activities, but the times we talked to him, he was really correct, something I cannot say from the previous 2 cruises.

Shows? The sing and dance shows are very good. The comedian part we tried one night, but these shows are so much American minded, we as Europeans do not understand the jokes.
But walking around the ship is an experience on its own. The Pride has so many hidden hallways, spots, where hardly people come, nice and quiet.

Well, a week goes quick and after Progresso it is back to Florida. Another very rocky ride and lots of rain, but hey, it is holiday!

Back in Port Canaveral the debarkation took only 1,5 hour, we picked up our rental car, and with our friends Email in hand we drove, without making 1 mistake, straight to their house. By that time Florida warmed up, only some chilly mornings our friends said, but we thought it was just a nice start and not that cold. You Floridians are spoiled with sun. What have we done in this week. On sunday we went to Universal, nothing new there in 2 years, so that was a quick look around. Ofcourse we did Jaws and got soaking wet. It was also the Superbowl day and boy, it did not show ............
On Monday other friends from Walton Beach arrived, we did some shopping in the morning, and it was party time. We went to the Blue Springs to see the manatees, and boy, if we want to see a manatee here, we have to go to the Zoo. The next day we went with a small motorboat back on the river and did a Swamp Cruise. Our friend/local tourguide did a good job. It was a nice day, relaxed, sunny, good company.
On thursday our friends from WB went back home, so we had to say goodbye in tears, heartbreaking, for who knows when we meet again.
On Friday we went to Daytona flea market and bought ourselves an extra suitcase for all the stuff we bought. After the fleamarket we went for a drink to the Boot Hill Saloon, dh bought another T-shirt, the plan was to walk down trough main street to the beach, but there was a heavy, thick seafog from the sky till the tiles on the floor and I could not walk 20 meters, and my lungs gave up. It was too humid and too cold for me. So back to the car, did the Daytona tour driving and headed back home. Another week passed, we did more things during the night, like darting in a local pub. Met lots of friends from our friends, neighbours and just had a good time.
Then it is saturday, the packing starts, in a bad mood, because the end of a holiday is never a happy one, specially not this time. We are spoiled rotten by our friends, and we had to leave them behind, I always get emotional, maybe stupid, maybe not.

Anyway, around 18.00 hrs we left for the airport, got our car back to Avis, picked up our suitcases and searched for the check-in. At the desk we say another delay coming up and instead leaving at 22.30 we left at 04.00 hrs. So the sunday is a day skipped in the timedifference, we arrived back home at 20.00 hrs instead of 13.30. Called my mum to tell here we are home safely, unpacked the suitcases, started with the laundry, took a drink and went to bed. We woke up monday afternoon around 2, so we had a good night sleep in our own bed!

On Tuesday I started my new job, although I was still lost in a twilight time zone between Florida and Amsterdam. It took me the rest of the week to get back in my own timezone.

So far our holiday experience. Now I will catch on the reading, did you all post so much?

__________________A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.

Welcome Back Jacqueline! You were missed. Thank you so much for your mini review of your cruise and land vacation. How is the new job going? Don't let that post cruise depression get you down! Come here often and share the pain of the rest of us who are landlocked, however temporarily!

As a cure for the PCD I booked a week Spain in May, because for the next cruise we have to save up the money and it will take about a year or so to book another one. The only perhaps change is that we come to Florida at the end of the year to spend the X-mas holidays with our friends.

Michelle, I am hooked to Florida, besides being a cruise addict ). It was not the last time.

Desertcruzer, my new job takes a lot of energy, but it is fun, it is a busy job too, but better organized then the last one. And I am looking forward to the beginning of next month, when my new collegue (also from the other hospital) starts.

Mike M, I waved at all of you somewhere on the great water between Florida and Yucatan, for I had no clue where you were at.

Sue, you know what to do! Mail me the dates when you come and I order some sunshine and fun and show you around town.

Angela, maybe for you it was cold, but these chilly temperatures is a touch of spring over here, so we liked it. Only the first night was a frostbite.

__________________A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.